Into The Vast Darkness
by Fayt-Leingod
Summary: This is a fanfic based on the best game of all time, Star Ocean: The Second Story. It will take place at the beginning of the game, and I have no Idea where it will end yet. So yeah, Read it, enjoy it, review it.
1. Another New Planet

**Star Ocean: Into The Vast Darkness**

By, Jacob Beurmann

Disclaimer: Star Ocean and all of its characters are the sole property of ENIX, and I do not claim to own any of the copyrighted elements in this story. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and once again ENIX owns all of the characters mentioned.

Introduction:

Though not a very popular RPG, Star Ocean II was one of the best video games ever made, so I decided to write a Star Ocean Fanfic. In the beginning the events that happen will sound very similar to what actually happened in the game, and well... that's because they are, but worry not, the story gets a whole lot better, with all kinds of fighting and romance and stuff. No, seriously, it gets better. Aw... you went and hit X close, didn't you? Well, if you are still reading it, I hope y'all like it. Enjoy.

**Chapter one: Yet another planet.**

Claude Kenni was sitting in his quarters on The Calnus, a Federation ship from Earth, bored out his mind. Claude was a bright, young man, only nineteen years old and already an ensign on an Earth vessel assigned to space exploration. The fact that his father, Ronoxis, was commodore of the Calnus had a lot to do with his assignment as ensign... but no one was supposed to talk about that.

Claude was about five feet, nine inches tall with thick, full blonde hair that covered the top of his ear. He wore a red bandana on his forehead, a long, black shirt covered by his "Custom" uniform, white pants and tan gloves. Though crewmembers of the Federation were not allowed to deface their uniforms, the commodore's son received no trouble about his "Modifications". The rest of the crew felt that Claude got special treatment because of his bloodline and most envied him, but the truth was he hated it. He hated not going on dangerous away missions, he hated everyone's uneasiness around him, and he hated his father. Claude loathed his father.

The great Ronixis Kenni had saved the galaxy time and time again, winning victory after victory for the Federation. Meanwhile, his son felt neglected. The only person Claude had was his mother, but now he couldn't stay with her because his _great_ dad brought him aboard his ship so they could bond... He was so mad at his father for taking him away from his mother, whom he loved with all of his heart..._ Some damn hero!_ thought Claude as he threw the magazine he was reading across the room.

Just as he shoved his head in the pillow, preparing to drift into a bored and dreamless sleep as he always did, a voice came over his communicator.

"Ensign Kenni, report to the bridge immediately. You are to be a part of the away team to the planet Milocinia. Orders will be given to the entire away team at your arrival. I will see you soon son, Commodore Kenni, out."

_An away mission!? This is fantastic!_ For the first time in a while, Claude had actually been glad to hear his father's voice. He fumbled with his communicator in the excitement. "Ensign Kenni reporting to the bridge, Commodore!" Claude nearly squealed with joy. _This is gonna be fun..._

-

"I'll be going now!" shouted Rena Lanford merrily to her mother, Westa, as she skipped out the door of her house in the small town of Arlia. "Wait!" replied Westa, loudly.

"You go to that forest every day... I am starting to think you have some sort of problem. And furthermore, everything is strange since the Sorcery Globe landed. Just last night we had another earthquake, and they say the monsters have been acting violently, so please, don't go to Shingo Forest today."

"I'll be going now!"

Rena skipped up the road towards the town's small general store. _Too dangerous, too dangerous. My mom worries way too much._ She was a young, beautiful girl, who had just turned 17 years old. She stood five feet and three inches tall and had short, blue hair, in which she wore a pendant. She had the pendant since she was a baby, and it was in the shape of a crescent moon. She dressed in a white shirt, covered by a blouse and wore a blue skirt. She was friends with just about everyone in Arlia, and even some people from a neighboring town of Salva, and the great capital city of Cross.

Rena was a sweet girl with a very friendly and outgoing personality. She had never had a boyfriend, though her friend Alen seemed to like her a lot. But her "Big Brother", Dias, didn't seem to like him that much, and she didn't think he was too good looking either. Dias Flac, an incredibly strong and handsome young man, was much older than Rena, and looked out for her and protected her as if she were his little sister, but he moved away after _the incident._ The same incident that Rena didn't like to think about...

"I'm goin' to Shingo Forest, I'm goin' to Shingo Forest..." Rena hummed happily as she made her way to her most favorite spot. She took a moment to look around the town of Arlia, the town that she had grown to love so much. A small River ran through the center of town, with a bridge going across it next to the mayor, Regis', house. Regis and Westa were good friends, but Rena didn't really like him too much. He always talked her ears off...

She made her way across the bridge, passing the temple at which all the citizens of Arlia prayed, and headed out of town. Rena began to follow her favorite path, into her favorite spot, of her favorite forest. _That mother of mine is such a worrywart, there is nothing wrong with the forest. I think I just might go a little bit deeper today..._ She thought to herself, skipping towards a big clearing, where the vast green trees parted and the sun shown.

-

_Oh my God..._Thought Claude as the lights from the transporter faded away. _This is so...so... Stupid!_ He expected to fight alien monsters, defeat bad guys, and do something really cool. This was not cool. The planet of Milocinia was nothing but a barren wasteland with rain and lightning mocking him from above. Ronixis and a few of his science officers were on the away team with Claude, talking about scanning the planet and other boring stuff like that. Ronixis approached his son. "Well, Claude it looks like you have made it to ensign, and I am very proud of you."

"Umm... Thanks dad, it's just that..." Claude managed to mutter before once again being interrupted.

"Here, take this phase gun. If a battle were to start, press this little button right here and it will shoot out a beam of light." Said Claude's father as he handed him the gun.

_Oh yeah, like I am really gonna get into a battle._ "No, Dad, what I was trying to say was..."

"Are you afraid? Son, if you want to be an ensign you have to be bolder than that!"

"That's not it... It's just I wanted to tha..."

One of the science officers called to the Commodore. He turned and walked away, not hearing a word his son said. _That bastard! He won't even listen long enough for me to thank him for bringing me on a mission! I hate him..._ Claude followed the others, trying not to let them see that he was mad. It was bad enough being the commodore's son; he didn't want to pout in front of the men, too.

The group walked down a long cavern with high stone on both sides until they came to what looked like a door. "Who would put this here and why?" thought Ronixis out loud... "Spread out and try to find a way to open it." The men searched for a few minutes when Claude noticed something shiny on a small pedestal of black rock. "Umm... Dad... I mean Commodore, I think I have found something!" The men approached the pedestal and checked it over. "Good work, Claude, I think you have found a way in!" praised his father loudly. Claude could hear remarks from some of the science officers...

One of the officers analyzed the shiny thing for a while, Claude couldn't see it up close because his dad's big butt was in the way... All of a sudden the monumental door flew open with a loud CRASH! "Ok, men, stay on guard. We have to go in and explore the area."

Despite orders given in the briefing, Claude walked around ahead of everyone else, passing up rocks and rocks... and more rocks... So far he thought this was one boring mission. Then he came upon something astounding... Partially buried in the dirt was what looked like some sort of metal coffin. He started to move towards it. "Claude, you stay away from there until we find out what it is!" ordered his father. "Pfft... what could happen, da- what the hell?"

A bright light seemed to appear out of nowhere and Claude felt a powerful force pulling him in. He tried to fight but it was no use, he could not get away. He felt dizzy and confused, and with a great burst of energy he disappeared. "Claude! Claude!!" his father shouted in vain.

When Claude came to he was in a clearing in the middle of a forest. It was so beautiful and pollution free... _That thing must have taken me to an underdeveloped planet... Wow...Hmm... I think I should try my communicator... then I can go explore!_ Claude pulled out his communicator and attempted to call the commodore, but it was no use. There was no signal. _What am I going to do now? _A beautiful girl with short blue hair skipped into view, singing a song with her lovely voice, tearing him from his thoughts. _My God... She is so beautiful..._ Claude saw something rustle in the trees behind her. A giant ape-like creature jumped out and dashed towards the girl with tremendous speed. "Hey! Look out behind you!" he shouted. Because of the Federation devices Claude had equipped, he could speak and understand any language.

The girl turned around and then backed away from the ape in fear. Claude had to do something. He threw himself in front of the girl and shot forward with his phase gun. The blast simply destroyed the ape, completely vaporizing it and wiping it from existence. The girl was no longer in any danger.

_Oh, no!_ Claude thought. _I just violated the UP3. Oh, man, I am in so much trouble. _The UP3, or underdeveloped planet protection pact, was a treaty established by the Federation to prevent alien races from entering planets and disturbing the evolution rate of that world. The use of phase guns on an underdeveloped planet was strictly forbidden. But Claude did what he had to. At least the girl was still safe.

-

_It's the warrior of light!_ Thought Rena as this strange man saved her from a violent ape. _He appeared out of nowhere and defended me with the sword of light! Just like in the prophecy!_ "Are you alright?" asked the man. Rena backed away surprised. "I said are you alright?" He asked once more. Rena turned and ran away, heading back towards Arlia as the man shouted for her to wait. She stopped. _I should not have run like that. He did save my life after all. He just shocked me... I hope he is not upset._

The man approached Rena slowly. "There you are... I am glad you waited for me."

"I am sorry about running off like that," replied Rena, slowly "I was just surprised; it all happened so fast."

"It's ok"

"Gosh, I am forgetting my manners. My name is Rena... Rena Lanford."

"Me, I'm Claude, Claude Kenni, pleased to meet you."

"Hee-hee. The pleasure is all mine. Umm... Mr. Claude, you were going to say something back then?"

"Oh, that's right. It's nothing, really, but... Where are we?"

So, that was the first chapter of the first Fanfic I have ever written. I hope you all enjoyed it so far. There will be much, much more to come in later days. I will be writing more whenever I have some free time.


	2. The Warrior of Light?

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine; they belong to ENIX and Tri-Ace. So, yeah... Don't sue me.

**Chapter 2: The Warrior of Light?**

"You are outside the town of Arlia," explained Rena to a seemingly confused Claude. Oh, he knew he was lost, but there is no way she would believe what had happened if he told her. "Where are you from, Mr. Claude?"

"I am from Earth." replied Claude.

"Urth? Where is that?" questioned Rena.

"Umm... How can I explain this so that you will understand? Ah, yes... Earth is a place very far away."

"A place far away!" exclaimed Rena with delight. "I have never even left this continent! Are you from El? Oh, that is so neat!" She took Claude's hand and started pulling him into Arlia. The town was different from anything he had ever seen. Instead of giant apartment buildings, there were little houses with red and green slanted roofs. Instead of cement and concrete there was grass, a dirt path, and trees all about. Instead of smoke and dirt the air was clean and smelled fresh. Claude took a big, deep breath.

"I am really sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Claude, but I have to go do something... Please, look around the town while you wait. I will be back!" said Rena before running off. _Hmm... _thought Claude, _maybe I should have a look around town; see if anyone knows anything that could help my situation. _Claude checked the local grocery store, the mayor's house, he asked some little kids, some old people, but no one seemed to know anything about the Federation, or spaceships. It looked like he was stuck... Then he came to a big house with a blue roof, by the lake that ran through the middle of Arlia.

The door was unlocked so Claude decided he would go inside and ask the owners some questions. As he crossed through the entrance way he heard a familiar voice._ Rena..._Rena and a woman with darker and longer blue hair were talking about something. Claude couldn't hear what they were saying so he decided to move closer, but his foot hit something and he was noticed... "Mr. Claude? What are you doing here?" exclaimed Rena in shock. Claude explained how he was looking around town and just wound up at her house.

"Is this the boy that saved you, Rena? It is a pleasure to meet you, Claude, my name is Westa, Rena's mother."

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I see where Rena gets her good looks."

Both of the women blushed. "Ok," proclaimed Westa, "Rena, you show that nice boy around town while I finish the preparations. Come back in a little bit." Rena took Claude's hand and pulled him along with her outside. Claude started to blush a little. _She has soft hands... Hmm... I just noticed she has pointy ears, too. As does everyone else here... Neat, this sure beats screwing around on Milocinia. I wonder how my dad is doing..._

-

Rena took Mr. Claude's hand and started to escort him around town. _Wow, Mr. Claude sure has strong hands. I suppose The Warrior would. Lalala..._Rena decided to start by showing Mr. Claude the grocery store. Mr. Hearn, the proprietor, was happy to see Rena's sweet smile and gave them some fresh blueberries, on the house. Claude looked at some of the items on sale, puzzled, so Rena explained that people in Arlia use herbs to heal wounds and such.

She continued to show him around town, introducing him to the local children that she read stories to, the old man that walks around the towns exit, the mayor's maid, because the mayor was not in. A few people inquired if Mr. Claude was her boyfriend... but she just blushed and said no. It was an easy mistake, a pretty girl walking around with a handsome boy; Rena thought Mr. Claude was kind of handsome at least. Mr. Claude looked like he was enjoying Arlia, it seemed almost as if he had never seen a small town before...

Then the pair came to the home of the lovey-dovey newlyweds. "Oh, hi Rena. Is this your boyfriend?" asked the wife, just as Rena expected she would. "No," replied Rena, sort of annoyed because she had to answer that question so much. "I am just showing Mr. Claude around town. He saved my life!" "Wow," exclaimed the two, almost in unison before the man started to talk "That reminds me of when we first met... We were playing stickball and..." "Excuse me," interrupted Claude "What does that have to do with saving lives?" The man paused for a moment. "I don't know... I guess everything reminds me of my sweetie-weetie!" said the man as he turned to kiss his wife. "You be good to Rena, ok boy?" said the woman. "I will try..." replied Claude. _Aw..._The two were just about to leave when Rena stopped. "You know, I have lived here all my life and I never asked your names!" she said. "Jacob and Rei."

Rena finished showing Claude every building in town and introducing him to everyone. _Hehe... I hope the Warrior likes our town._ Not wanting to keep Westa waiting, Rena decided to bring Claude home now. _After all, who knows what that crazy woman would do left in a house by herself_? The two opened up the door and were hit with a wave of magnificent aroma. Upon the table was a gigantic mountain of food. "Mother! What did you make all this food for?" asked Rena in shock. Westa explained how growing boys, like Claude, could eat tons and tons of food, and after being persuaded by her mother and the smell of the food, all three of them sat down for a lovely meal.

During the course of the meal Mr. Claude talked about his mom, not to mention eating three full plates full of food, Rena talked about some of the little kids in the village that she plays with, and Westa talked just a little bit about her youth. She was a real looker back in the day, don't you know? Rena looked at Westa for a good while... She still was pretty, but she just looked older since her dad died. Rena didn't want to think about that at such a happy time, though.

-

Claude had just finished the best meal he had eaten in almost three years. After dinner, Rena brought him upstairs. "You wait here, Mr. Claude. I am going to help my mom clean up." said Rena. "Oh, please let me help. It is the least I could do after such a wonderful meal." offered Claude, but Rena refused to let him clean up. He felt it best not to argue, he might as well take advantage of their hospitality. _The people on this planet really are something._

Perhaps leaving Claude alone upstairs wasn't such a good idea after all, because being the inquisitive youth that he is, he decided to go exploring. The house was set up very simply. In the northwest corner of the second floor was the staircase, which was beautifully crafted out of wood. The walls were painted tan and the floor was fashioned out of hardwood. This home on a simple planet in a simple town felt much more comfortable than the modern homes of earth to Claude.

To the south was a big room with two twin beds. There were wooden nightstands on the side of each beds and a couple of small chairs in the room. What stood out to Claude were the two beds. There was another room down the hall that he assumed was a bedroom, but the main bedroom had two beds. Claude started to wonder where Rena's dad was.

Still engrossed in thought, he began to wander down the hall to the other room. Claude's hand was on the knob, about to turn it when he heard someone walking up the stairs. He headed back to where Rena had left him, expecting her to be there waiting for him. When he turned the corner there stood Westa. "Did you enjoy the meal, Claude?" the pleasant lady asked with a smile. "You bet! I haven't eaten that good in quite some time." replied the boy, rubbing his full stomach happily. "That's great," started Westa "I don't know what I would do if The Warrior didn't like my food..." Claude was confused. "Who is the wa-" he managed to get out before being interrupted. "Oh, it's nothing, forget about it!" stated Westa erratically before quickly dashing down the stairs.

Claude scratched his head, not quite sure what had just transpired. He slowly crept towards the top of the stairwell and tried to listen to those downstairs. "Oh, Rena, I did it! I am so sorry!" he heard an older woman's voice say, guessing it was Westa. "Did what, mother?" replied a young girl with a sweet voice, Rena. "I did it! I called him The Warrior!" Then Claude heard something he did not expect. It was the voice of an older man. A deep, raspy yet monotonous voice that was actually quite annoying to listen to, not full of warmth or comforting like the voice of Claude's grandfather.

"Worry not, Westa. Does the boy seem to know what is going on? I thought not, so calm down, woman." Not sure what was going on, Claude started down the stairs. They were talking about him and he wanted to know why. "Ah, Mr. Claude," started the man as the boy came into view. "My name is Regis. I am the mayor of Arlia. It is a pleasure to meet you." Claude shook the man's hand reluctantly, but shook it all the same, for he did not want to appear rude in front of the two women who had been so kind to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you, too. Now, who is this warrior you are discussing? Are you three talking about me?"

"Have a seat, boy, and I shall make everything clear." Claude sat even though he did not like to be called "boy". "As of late, the lands have been plagued with earthquakes and storms and the animals have become violent. All of these terrible tragedies occurred after a star fell from the sky, a star that the peoples of Expel have named The Sorcery Globe. It is written in the prophecies that The Warrior of Light would appear in the time of need and rescue this world. This Warrior is said to wear foreign raiments and wield a sword of light. You, Mr. Claude wear foreign garbs and you, Mr. Claude carry a sword of light. You, Mr. Claude are The Warrior of Light."

"What!?" exclaimed Claude. "I don't carry this "Sword of Light" and I certainly ain't no Warrior of Light." Regis paused for a second, and then resumed talking. Claude also heard Rena mutter a soft "No..." "No Sword of Light, you say? What of the weapon that you saved the girl with? Is that not the legendary sword of light?" _The phase gun... I can't believe this! Violate the UP3 one time and now they think I am some legendary warrior. How am I supposed to explain this?_

"Listen. I do carry a weapon that shoots out light, but it isn't that sword. It is different." Claude tried to convey to them. "What of your foreign raiments?" Claude thought for a few seconds when Rena piped in. "He... he said he was a traveler. Isn't that right, Mr. Claude?" Regis cut off the boy before he could speak. "A traveler that doesn't know where he is and has no destination? I do not mean to offend you, but I must say that you, Mr. Claude, are lying!" Claude was caught there. He was lying, not about being this warrior, but about his true origin.

"You are right," the boy gave in "I am lying about where I am from and my purpose, but even if I told you I know you would not believe me. I am telling you the truth, though; I am not this warrior you speak of. This has all been just one large misunderstanding." Claude hoped that would be explanation enough and that the man would ask no more questions. He was going to be in enough trouble with the Federation as it was.

Regis and the women let out sighs of despair. It seemed they truly hoped that Claude was this hero and the boy felt bad for them. "If you argue so forcefully then what you say must be true. I apologize for this mess, Mr. Claude, but in times of woe people tend to hope just a little too hard. Please, I beg of you not to use your sword of light anymore. The people's hopes have been stirred enough and I fear some will not be able to bare the disappointment. While we have been lucky, the pain and sadness will reach our lands soon. The people need to be prepared." Regis stopped and bowed his head. Rena and Westa looked as if they were about to cry and the girl suddenly stood up. "No, this can't be!" she shouted and ran out the door of the house into the cold and quiet night. _Rena..._

"Please forgive her, Mr. Claude, we have all been praying hard for the arrival of the hero. Give her some time to cool off. Since you do not know where you are or where you are going you may stay at my abode if you wish it. The beds are very comfortable and the maid's keep it immaculate." Claude thanked Regis for his offer and started over to the mayor's large house. While he lay in bed that night he could not get Rena's face, not bright and cheery like it had been when he first met her, but sad and streaked with tears. _Rena..._

-

Rena stormed out of the door to her house, not wanting her mother, Regis, or the confused Mr. Claude to see her cry. The night was cold and she could hear crickets chirping all about. She ran and ran to the south of the town and collapsed on the bridge crying. This was the spot where Rena came when she was sad. This is the spot where she cried, just like that terrible night so long ago...

Tonight Rena was not crying about the past, she was crying about her hopes that had been dashed. When she first saw Mr. Claude in his odd dress wielding his sword of light, she had been sure that he was the warrior from the prophecies. She had heard from travelers in cross of the terrible goings on around the globe. Normal peaceful animals attacked people, once calm grounds quaked and roared, and shallow lakes and rivers flooded. According to what she had heard in church, when The Warrior appeared all of this would stop and everyone would be happy. There would be no more suffering...

She also felt bad for Mr. Claude. He had appeared out of nowhere and saved her life, and in return she expected him to save her world. She was asking far too much of him, but she didn't know. She thought he was their savior, not the normal traveler he claimed to be. She hoped with all her heart that he would not be upset at her and he would still want to be friends.

Though Rena had only known Claude for a day, they were already friends. She had showed him around town, he dined at her house, he had good manners and posture and he was very polite. Rena even thought that he was sort of cute, with his shiny blonde hair and deep, green eyes. He also seemed very strong, destroying a crazed ape and saving her life all in one blow. He reminded her of Dias.

This caused Rena to remember Dias, her "big brother" and protector until he had to go away. It seemed every sad thing she thought of reminded her of another. But Rena was a strong girl, and after only a few minutes of crying she was back on her feet. She stopped at the church and spoke to the priest about what had happened and he comforted her. The wise man explained that even though Mr. Claude was not The Warrior, that did not mean that her world would not be saved; all she had to do was wait and hope.

Her faith restored, Rena headed back towards her home. She did not feel nearly as bad as before, but that did not mean the shock was completely gone either. The girl had much more thinking to do before she would feel completely at ease. She decided that she would go to Shingo Forest tomorrow and sort out her thoughts then. Right now Rena was exhausted. She greeted her mother at the door, they talked a bit, Westa explained that Mr. Claude would be staying with Regis, and with a kiss goodnight Rena marched off to bed. She laid thinking about Claude and The Warrior and the Sword of Light as she slowly drifted off to dreamless slumber.


	3. Alen The Obsessed

Star Ocean: Into The Vast Darkness

Chapter 3: Alen the Obsessed 

Claude woke up early in the morning, confused as to where he was. Instead of a cold, uncomfortable Federation cot, he was in a soft, warm bed with sheets and blankets. He sat up and looked all around. Slowly he began to remember the day before on Milocinia when he wound up in Arlia. Claude was inside of Regis' house. When the boy came to this house the night before he was stuffed with food and exhausted. After a long nights sleep he could observe and appreciate this fine manor.

Though it was early in the morning, light flowed in through the window casting a faint myriad of blue and crimson shadows on the furniture. The room Claude was in had a bed, a wooden desk, a few small chairs and an ornate door that looked to be carved out of the finest woods. As the earthling slowly crept out of his room and down the hall, trying desperately not to wake anyone up, he noticed artwork on the walls. Pictures of battle scenes, portraits of Regis and who Claude assumed were the mayors before him were spread out on the walls from one end to the other giving one the illusion of being watched.

As the young man reached the stairs he noticed that the rails were even more exquisite than the ones he had admired at Rena's house. _People on Earth would pay an arm and a leg for this stuff. Maybe I should get into the business of selling goods from underdeveloped planets..._Absorbed in thought and not paying attention, Claude bumped into Regis upon reaching the bottom of the stairs. "Please excuse me, I am so sorry." pleaded the boy, not wanted the older man to get mad. "Quite alright," started the mayor, sounding only a wee bit annoyed. "Take this. I asked you last night to no longer use your sword of light, so please use this instead."

What the old man had handed Claude was a long sword. It was rather ordinary, pretty well balanced and relatively light. The young man thanked Regis for the sword and went on his way. He had to find Rena and see if she was all right. Finding out that he was not The Warrior of Light had upset her quite a bit. He started looking at her house, but her mother told him that she was not home. Next Claude tried asking some of the neighborhood people if they had seen her that day. Mr. Hearn, the priest, and the lovey-dovey couple that Claude had met the day before did not know for sure, but they suggested she may be in Shingo Forest, for that is where she often spent her time.

_Shingo Forest..._ thought Claude. _That must be the place where I saved her from that monkey. Wow, she sure is a brave girl to go back there again._ The earthling made his way through the thick forest, once again admiring the beautiful trees and flowers and inhaling the pleasant aroma of nature. Much of the forest was cast in shadow except for where Rena stood. The trees seemed to part and bend in her wake, allowing warm sunlight to shine on her soft hair and make her appear an angel in the darkness.

Claude approached her slowly, trying not to startle the poor girl. She turned around as he got closer and he assumed that she had heard his footsteps. "Rena... I wanted to talk to you about yesterday," the young man started in a warm and comforting tone. "I know you and your mother were really hoping that I was this Warrior of Light. I am sorry I let you two down." The boy looked at the ground, embarrassed that he had caused such a commotion.

The pleasant girl put her hand on his shoulder and spoke back equally as comfortingly. Claude thought it strange that even in times of worry and doubt, this girl could stay so cheerful and positive. He had only known her for one full day and already he admired her. "Don't worry, Mr. Claude. It was an easy mistake. I apologize on behalf of my mother, Regis, and myself. We are all hoping so hard for The Warrior to appear, I guess we all got a little carried away. Could you please excuse me? I would like to think for just a bit longer." The girl turned around once more.

"Certainly, Rena. Do you think we can still be friends even though I am not the warrior?" The girl turned around and grabbed Claude's shoulders, smiling, nearly knocking him over. "Of course! I would love to be friends with you, Mr. Claude, warrior or not." Claude returned the girls bright smile. "Thank you for understanding, Rena. And please, just call me Claude." Rena nodded and gave him a hug, then turned back around and resumed her thoughts.

At the entrance to the village, the young man spotted another young man that struck him as rather strange. The man, sporting black armor and a cape, stood about five and a half feet tall. He had short, dark green hair and looked about eighteen or so. His eyes were the strange part about him. They seemed empty and without feeling as the man stared off into the distance at something Claude could not see, not moving one bit. The young man thought it best to avoid this stranger as he headed back to Arlia.

-

Rena stood in the forest for almost two hours after Claude left. She was still a might sad that The Warrior of light had not yet appeared, but at the same time excited that she had made another new friend. He was also a handsome traveler at that! The sweet girl daydreamed about showing Claude more stuff in Arlia, showing him Salva, maybe even going on one of his journeys with him. _Going on a journey would be so neat! And I would come in handy, too. I just hope Mr... I mean Claude doesn't think I am weird._

The girl's thoughts wandered as they often did when a tap on the shoulder all of a sudden interrupted them. Rena turned around, startled at not knowing where the tap had come from. The familiar figure that stood before her startled her even more. "Alen, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you in weeks!" The figure did not respond, just puts his hands on her arms. The hands felt cold and uncomfortable at the touch.

"Rena," started Alen, his voice sounding slightly different from usual. "Rena, I have come to make you my wife." The girl backed up shocked and confused. "Alen, what are you talking about? I have told you a million times, I just want to be friends!" The young man in black did not pout or whine like he had thousands of times before; he did something very strange. Alen reached up into the air and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, without warning, two figures that Rena could not see grabbed her arms from behind. They tied her in rope tightly and picked her up, falling in line behind their leader and following. Rena was being kidnapped.

The three carried Rena straight through Arlia, being seen by the old man, a young boy, and Westa and Regis who were doing some shopping. The whole time Rena was kicking and screaming, even hitting Alen in the head a few times but they continued on their path. Westa tried to stop them, but Alen knocked her out of the way. The group was heading to Salva, the town neighboring Arlia where Alen's father was mayor.

Rena got tired from all the screaming and kicking and eventually passed out. On their way back to Salva, the group spotted a figure in the distance and decided to cut through the forest instead of taking the road. The forests here were very dark and thick, allowing very little light to pass through the scrunched together branches. Few birds chirped, and the only signs of life were the many lizards in the forest. It seemed as the group was enveloped in a shroud of darkness that choked out all life.

By the time the men got to Salva they were exhausted. All exhausted except for Alen how had not changed at all. The men entered the Salva drifts and headed for the place where the ceremony was to happen. Alen now had everything. Power, wealth, and the girl he had practically worshiped from the day he had met her. For some reason he was not smiling, he was just in a trance, and his henchmen worried.

Okay, well I apologize for that short chapter. It is just that I am trying to average one a day until I get up there really high, and also, this is super suspenseful enough to be two chapters. I bet you can't wait to see what happens next... Bwahahaha!


	4. Claude to the Rescue

Star Ocean: The Second Story, Into The Vast Darkness

Chapter 4: Claude to the rescue 

After talking to Rena in Shingo Forest, Claude decided that even if the people in Arlia could not help him with his predicament, maybe someone in another town could. Also, the possibility still remained that his communicator would work in a new area. As the young man started to leave the town from the north exit, entering a vast plain with a large road in the middle, forests and mountains surrounding it, he was stopped by a small boy. "Mister," started the boy with a foreboding tone, "If you head out of the town you had best stay on the road. The forests are dangerous nowadays." Claude thanked the young boy and went on his way, not the slightest bit worried as long as he had his phase gun. He promised Regis he wouldn't use it unless he had to, and with his new sword the earthling didn't think he would.

Before Claude left he had asked a few of the locals where the nearest town would be and that was where the young man was headed. Salva, the prosperous mining town located two or three miles from Arlia, was Claude's destination. As he made his way along the road to Salva, he took a closer look at his surroundings. The time was around noon by now and the sun shown brightly overhead, reflecting off of the young man's golden hair and making even more beautiful the land's façade. A quarter of the way to Salva, Claude spied two large forests on either side of the road; the one to the left a hundred and the one on the right around 500 yards away.

The season on this planet was similar to Earth's spring, fairly warm and bright. The green foliage was a splendid sight, far more beautiful in person than on a hologram. Birds sang their cheerful songs and filled the air with pleasant music to be enjoyed by anyone who cared to listen. Behind the forests were mountains so tall that they seemed to challenge the sky with their height, covered with lush, green vegetation. This place was so nice that Claude considered asking Rena if she would like to go camping here sometime.

There was one thing that struck Claude as odd. There were no great beasts, such as the ape that attacked Rena, or any others that may pose a threat. All the young man could see where rabbits, a deer or two, and the occasional furry creature, which looked like a squirrel with three tails. He had no idea why the boy in Arlia had deemed this grand valley dangerous until he got almost all the way to his destination.

Standing on the road waiting for passersby was a group of five bandits. Each of the thieves wore a matching tan tunic with a hood over their heads and a short sword at their sides. All of them had large money-pouches tied to their belts that looked to be filled with coins, coins that had probably not been earned honestly. Not wanting to deal with such unscrupulous characters, Claude decided to try and walk around them. When the young man walked off the road the five formed a straight line in front of him, not allowing him to pass. "Give us all yer money and then ye can pass, if not, ye die." proclaimed the tallest of the bandits, whom Claude assumed was the leader.

"I have no money, sirs," Claude started to lie, "I am a poor traveler visiting relatives in Salva and they will be angry with me if I do not make it in time. Please let me pass." The head bandit turned his head to the left and then the right, making eye contact with each of his henchmen. "If ye have no money, then how'd ye get such fine clothes and a sword? Kill him."

Each of the accomplices drew their swords and began to circle around Claude. _Well, shit..._The young man drew his sword as well and turned it to the leader. "You are correct, I am no ordinary traveler. I am a great swordsman from the town of Earth, and if you do not let me pass I will kill you all." Claude really hoped that would work so he wouldn't have to phase gun these foul knaves... Four of the men sheathed their swords and stepped back, only the leader still drawn. "I would love to test your amazing skills." Challenged the leader, and quickly, without warning he rushed at Claude and slashed his sword down towards the young man's head.

Claude reflexively stuck his blade up in the air, blocking the bandit's with a loud clash. The recoil sent both of them back a few steps and gave the earthling enough time to prepare for another blow. The other four bandits stared in awe. No one had been able to block their master's quick slash before, not even the old leader... Claude held up his sword preparing to block again and said, "As I said, I am a great warrior from Earth. Let me pass." After being humiliated in front of his men, there was no way that this man would let him go, and Claude knew that. The young man blocked two more blows from the bandit master before retaliating. Right after the second slash hit, Claude thrust his sword forward, narrowly missing the other, more experienced man's face. Because of his awkward position, the bandit could not strike with his sword, but kicked Claude in the stomach knocking him on his back.

The leader of the bandits gripped his sword with the blade pointing down and raised it high above his head, the sun glinting off of it, and prepared to run through the disabled young man. _Crap, crap, crap! _As the man began to thrust down, Claude quickly pulled out his phase gun and blasted the bandit into oblivion. All the other bandits saw was the boy raise his hand and an intense blue light come out, enveloping their master. When the light faded he was gone, not a trace of him left, and they trembled in fear. Claude got up and stepped towards the bandits, who had turned and prepared to run away.

"Stop!" shouted the young man fiercely, "And give me all of your money before you run like children!" The thieves untied their money-pouches from their belts and threw them in Claude's general direction, and then ran as if being chased by an entire army. The earthling returned his phase gun to his pocket and thought to himself for a moment before continuing his journey to Salva._ My phase gun may soon run out of power... I really need to learn how to use this sword._

Claude had finally reached the town of Salva. A rich mining town, Salva was located in between the ends of the two mountains that surrounded much of the southern coast of the continent that the young man was in, forming a sort of natural wall on both sides of the city. Much of the ground had been paved with dirt and sand, giving it a brownish color and this town was also much larger than Arlia.

The buildings nearest the southern entrance to the town were several houses with white walls, now brown and black from soot and dirt from the mines. Among the many houses was a small jam store with a blue roof, which sold every jam from grape to strawberry. To the southeast of the town were even more houses and the Happy Penguin Inn. Up hill from all that was a combination jewelry store and armory, a concept Claude felt was very odd. Up north was a tavern with a discolored, rusty roof that had a dirty "Gr n ope in" sign hanging from it that looked as if it had been there for ages.

The most exquisite building in Salva was the mayor's manner, which stood three stories tall and had several large windows that allowed light to shine into each room. Even though it was right next to the entrance to the Salva Drifts, the local mine, the manor was kept dirt free and immaculate. Claude assumed that the mayor had hired people to wash his house daily, because he must certainly be rich.

After asking around a bit and trying his communicator once more, Claude decided that there was no way for him to get back home from here, but he did not give up hope just yet. Certainly his over-protective father was looking for him. What the young man did hear in town was some disturbing information about the mayor of Salva's son. Alen; that was the boy's name; had been acting very strangely. Normally he made daily trips to Arlia to visit a childhood friend of his, whom he had fallen in love with and repeatedly got rejected by, thereby creating a funny spectacle for the citizens of both towns, had been held up in his house for the past two weeks polishing a strange stone. Though this was all very interesting, Claude decided he had best finish up his business and head back to Arlia. While in town, he used the money he had "acquired on his journeys" to buy himself some nice leather boots, leather armor, and a leather helmet, which the armorer helped him put on, and for Rena he purchased a fine robe, a necklace, and several jars of jam.

Suddenly Claude did not feel so bad about running into those bandits, and with his new armor he felt invincible. Gifts in hand, the young man made his way back to Arlia whistling a happy tune. As he reached the town his whistling fell flat and stopped. Westa, Regis, and a few others were waiting for him at the entrance. They explained to him quickly how Rena had been captured, but because it was by the son of a powerful mayor there was nothing they could do about it.

"I don't believe this," started Claude angrily "Son of a mayor or not your own flesh and blood is in danger! You people make me sick that you would sit and do nothing!" The angered young man paused for a few seconds to think. "If you will not save Rena then I will do it myself. I am not of this village, so no harm will come to you..." Claude set down the robe and jam he was carrying and dashed in the direction of Salva at full speed, not even stopping to hear Westa thank him for his bravery.

The young man ran and ran and ran, not pausing for anything. It felt as if pure adrenaline and not blood was pumping through his veins. He had to get to Rena before anything happened to her. The girl had been so nice to him that he could not stand the thought of anyone putting their hands on her. Claude got to Salva and headed straight for the mayors house, which he had viewed earlier that day.

The earthling jiggled the handle, revealing that the door was locked. He kicked it once and again and even tried ramming his shoulder into it, but it was no good. The door would not budge. _Damn it! How am I supp... the phase gun!_ Claude pulled out his phase gun and blasted the two doors right off their hinges before something caught his eye. The phase gun was out of batteries. _You have got to be kidding me..._ The young man took off into the house. He had to find Rena now. Slowly a crowd began to gather wondering what had just transpired...

-

Rena woke up in dank room that smelled of soot and sulfur upon an altar, with her arms bound by rope. Now awake, she instantly remembered what had happened just hours before and looked around for Alen. "Alen! What in the world has gotten into you? You can't just kidnap me and tie me up like this! I thought you were a good friend, but I was wrong!" Rena's eyes started to tear up at the thought of her friend behaving so rude and uncaringly.

Alen approached her and began to speak, his voice and words not sounding like his own, but rather forced by something that Rena could not see. "Rena, my darling, I have been in love with you since the moment I met you. Time and again I have asked you for your hand, but you turn me down, saying that you would only like to be friends. Rena, I cannot be friends with a girl as beautiful as you, and I want to make you my wife."

"You can't do this!" Rena began to scream at the top of her lungs, appalled. "I don't care how beautiful you think I am or how much you think you love me, you cannot just kidnap me and force my hand! That isn't love! That is just sick! You, Alen, are sick! What happened to my good friend? What happened to the boy that treated me nicely and respected my wishes? What is your problem? Untie me right now or you will be sorry!" The angry girl yelled as she pulled on her restraints.

"The time has come for us to be one. We love each other. In love... in love... in love..." Alen said strangely and then began reciting words from the Book of Light, which were commonly said at wedding ceremonies. Rena struggled and struggled to get free when the door to the room that they were in slammed open. "Rena!" shouted a very familiar voice before Claude burst into the room, sword drawn. The strong young man ran straight up to Alen and slammed his fist into his face, knocking him headlong into the wall and shattering his nose.

Claude quickly cut the ropes holding Rena and asked her if she was okay. _Claude came to save me..._ Rena nodded and said that she was fine. Claude turned to Alen and pointed the tip of his sword at his chest, light from the candles strewn about glinting off of it. "How dare you try to kidnap Rena? I should kill you right now, you sick ba-" Alen lifted his hand up, causing the air to stir, and with great force and a wave of red light, Claude and Rena were knocked backward.

The young man was immediately back on his feet and looked ready to stab the hell out of Alen. Rena got back on her feet as well. Though not as strong as Claude, she was in very good shape. "Alen..." Rena muttered softly. Slowly Alen stood, a strange green stone floating about him, and he began to do something very odd. His muscles began to budge and his black armor started to tear. The young man put his head down as his hair started to grow, and when he brought it back up his eyes emitted a terrifying, bright-red light.

By now his breastplate had torn off, revealing his new, dark-pink skin. His hair, now dark gray, ran all the way down his muscular back. His greaves had torn completely off, letting his newly enlarged feet show. The last thing to change was his teeth. Large, jagged fangs protruded from his mouth, each looking sharp enough to tear through flesh. No longer a man, Alen stood 7 feet tall, a gigantic demon that looked to be spawned from the depths of Hell. Meanwhile the stone seemed to laugh more and more maniacally at Rena and Claude as it grew brighter and brighter. _Alen... He used to be such a nice guy..._

Without warning, the newly created demon lunged at Claude, knocking him nearly across the room. The young man slammed into the floor and slid a few feet before quickly rising to his feet and charging. The injured Claude struck back just as quickly, forcing down his new sword at Alen, or what used to be Alen._ Wow! _Rena now saw that Claude was not the type to be beaten. As great a monster as he was hit by, he did not stay down for more than a few seconds. _Incredible..._The large beast blocked Claude's sword with his enormous arm, protecting his face but causing incredible injury to his right extremity. The sword slid half way into the bulk of the arm, dark crimson beginning to flow from the wound. The large beast screamed in pain, and punched the young man off of him, sending his sword flying with him.

"Claude!" screamed Rena, preparing to run and help the fallen young man. Slowly but steadily he rose to his feet, Alen gripping his deep cut on the other side of the room, blood flowing like a waterfall through his fingers. The boy winced and shook with pain. "Stay back, Rena. This is dangerous." He managed to get out, breathing heavily. Rena could now see the tiredness in his eyes. He must have ran all the way to Salva...

Hurt, but not prepared to be beaten, the young man charged at Alen, his sword held up high. As the beast rose it's left arm to block, Claude slashed down, not hitting it, but rather missing on purpose. The clever young man turned his sword upward, and Rena watched in awe as he ran it straight through the chest of the demonic creature. Turning his back to Alen, he grasped the end of the sword, walking toward Rena and pulling it free. Only a few short feet away, the monster fell. The glowing, green stone that hovered in the air faded and shattered.

Rena rushed to Claude as he started to stumble and grasped his arm, propping him up. "Claude! Are you alright?" asked the girl, terribly worried. The young man breathed heavily for a few moments, and then stood up straight. "I... I will be fine. Don't worry." he uttered. Rena shook her head and told him to stand still, which he did. She raised her hand and slowly it started to glow and grow warmer. A green light surrounded Claude and he began to grow warmer, his bruises fading and his cuts closing up. Soon his energy was restored and he felt as if he had never fought at all.

Ever since she could remember, Rena had the ability to heal. A scraped knee, a bruised elbow, or the occasional eye wound that Dias acquired from stick fighting, Rena could heal in a jiffy. She used no herbs, no medicines, just the powers that emanated from her hands. Rena was the only one in the entire village of Arlia with such a power, so she hid it from everyone except Westa and her closest friends. _I hope Claude doesn't think I am weird._

Claude just stood there, seemingly in awe. Rena took his hand and slowly turned him towards Alen, who had turned back into his old self. "Poor guy," spoke Rena aloud. "That green stone thing must have done something to him. When it exploded he turned back to normal." The young man nodded his head in agreement. Slowly, the fallen Alen moved his hand. The pair stepped back, away from him. "He's still breathing..." Claude though out loud. Rena walked over and knelt beside him. She healed him the same way she healed Claude, showering him with green light and warmth. The gashes on his arm and chest closed and he slowly stood up.

"Ouch... My head... Where am I? Rena? Who is that guy?" the once again human asked, confused. Rena and Claude walked him back out of the secret room in the mines where the fight had happened, back to his mansion, and the three, the house staff, and the local carpenter discussed what had happened. Ever since Alen had found that strange stone in the depths of the Salva Drifts he had been acting rather peculiarly. He had stopped eating, rarely talked to his staff, did almost nothing but polish the stone.

The young man admitted that once he found the stone, he felt like he could do no wrong. He felt stronger, faster, and greater than any other. After that he could not remember anything and his thoughts grew fuzzy. Alen could not believe what he had done to Rena, kidnapping her like that. He felt terrible and apologized again and again and again. The young man was so ashamed of his actions that he vowed never to ask Rena out again. She forgave him, of course, because he was under the control of the stone, but still he felt awful.

Rena and Claude headed back to Arlia, where they were greeted by a mob of worried friends. Westa rushed to the head of the crowd and gave Rena a big hug. "I was so worried!" she shouted, clinging to her daughter. _Oh, mother..._Regis gave Claude a pat on the back and told the pair to meet him at his house later to discuss what had happened. Before they did that, however, Westa made sure to stuff them both full of food.

They ate, rested and soon day became night. The sun had just set and the sky was streaked with blues and purples and dotted with the brightest stars. The weather was cool, calm and almost perfect. Regis greeted Rena and Claude at the door and they stepped into his sizable kitchen to converse. "So, this stone was controlling Alen, correct?" started the somewhat confused mayor. "Yes," replied Claude "As soon as the stone was destroyed he changed back to normal." _Hmm... could it be?_ Rena piped in with something she thought was very important. "Changing people, making them more violent, doesn't that sound like the Sorcery Globe?" The swift girl could see the information click in the minds of the two men. They all remained quiet for a bit before Regis broke the silence.

"Mr. Claude," he started and after pausing for a bit, continued, "I would like to ask you to please investigate the Sorcery Globe. I know you are not the Warrior of Light, but you are a great warrior all the same. You managed to save Rena, not once but twice, and I fear that you are the only one that can put a stop to this suffering." Rena watched Claude stop and think for a moment before raising his head. "I'll do it. Not because I am some hero, but because I think this might be worth checking out." The boy tried to say as humbly as he could.

Rena poked Claude on the shoulder to get his attention. "Claude, I want you to take me with you." The young man stared at her, shocked, while Regis did not seem to look affected at all. The sweet girl felt that rather strange. "But, Rena, it will be dangerous. I can't put you at risk like that." The girl gently rested her hand on his. "You are going to need a guide since you aren't from around here and my powers will come in handy. Please, Claude, take me with you." He couldn't say no, because he knew she was right. Besides, who would want to go on an adventure all alone?

"Mayor, what do you think?" asked Claude, trying to appear unsure. "I think that the girl is right. I will talk to Westa about it. Now, Rena, why don't you run home for a moment? I would like to talk to Claude alone." She nodded and headed out the door to her home. There was something she wanted to tell Claude, so she decided to wait a bit and then go get him. Rena took out her pendant and wiped it with a piece of cloth before putting it away again. _Mother..._

_-_

"Mr. Claude, it did not surprise me that Rena asked to go with you," Regis began to explain to the confused earthling, "Rena is not of this village. The healing power that she has, only she has. One day Westa was picking herbs in Shingo Forest when she heard a strange noise. She followed the noise deeper and deeper in until she came to a small clearing. In that clearing, leaned up against a tree was a strange looking device.

The sides of in looked to be made out of some metal, such as iron or steel, and over the front was a thick sheet of glass. Westa cautiously approached this strange contraption and upon examining it found a small red button. She pushed it in and the glass began to rise, smoke and vapor pouring out of the crack. What lay inside both shocked and confused the woman. It was a baby with beautiful blue hair, dressed in robes with a hairpin and a pendant. Rena.

Being a couple not blessed with children, Westa and her husband brought Rena home and raised her as their own. Not a single person objected. That woman tried as hard as she could to make Rena fit in and got rid of the device that the girl had been found in. She did not have the heart, however, to destroy the pendant, which had surely been a gift from Rena's birthmother.

As hard as Westa tried, the young girl still noticed that she was different. At five months old she had already learned to speak. Even though the other children accepted her, everyone noticed something special about her. Most of them clung on to her as a very good friend, others, like Alen for example, fell in love with her, but everyone noticed that difference, that special something. But most explicit was her ability to heal. No other person in Arlia, or on this continent seemed to share that gift.

Westa made the girl hide it, but as long as Rena knew about it she would be different anyway. It is my belief that Rena may have even overheard Westa and I discussing this, which we have many a time. Of these things I am sure. Rena knows she is different and she wants to find out why, and I think she may find the answers she seeks investigating the Sorcery Globe with you. So I ask you, Mr. Claude, please take the girl with you and please watch over her."

Claude stopped for a moment to let all that he had just heard sink it. He promised to take good care of Rena and after being thanked many times by Regis headed off to bed. He lay down and closed his eyes when something peculiar made him sit up. He heard a faint rapping sound on the window, so he walked out onto the balcony.

-

Rena threw a couple rocks at the bedroom window of the mayor's house hoping to get Claude's attention. After a few short moments, the young man appeared on the balcony. The girl yelled up at him to meet her at the bridge because she needed to talk to him. He met her there shortly after, wondering what she needed to talk about at this hour.

The night had cooled down significantly more than earlier, but was still rather comfortable. The light from the moon shone bright, reflecting off of the river, which looked as black as oil under the night sky. The stars twinkled and the air, though rather cool, was quite calm.

Rena broke the silence of the night with her voice. "Claude, I have a reason for wanting to go with you. Westa is not my real mother. I heard her and Regis talking one time after my dad died." She stated, her normally bright and cheerful smile faded a bit. "Rena, Westa is your mother. Just because she didn't give birth to you, doesn't mean that she isn't." said the young man, trying to comfort her.

The girl turned to look at him. "Westa is my mom and she will always be, but I want to see what became of the woman who gave birth to me. I have questions that I need to ask her. I need to know about these strange powers and why I am different. It's hard not knowing, Claude."

"Alright," Claude began, "I will take you with me to investigate the Sorcery Globe and we will try to find out about your mother while we are at it." Rena smiled and gave Claude a big hug. "Okies! Well, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. We have to go to the capital city of cross and speak to the king about our journey. I can't wait, Claude. Goodnight!" Rena took off in the direction of her house and quickly climbed up to bed. She was excited. The girl was about to go on an adventure with Claude, find out about her mother, and maybe even save the world from the evil Sorcery Globe. How incredible!

Rena woke up early in the morning and went to get Claude. After saying their final goodbyes, and receiving a letter of introduction from Regis to the king of Cross, the two started on their way. Who knows what kind of adventures lay ahead? Rena could not wait to find out. She pulled the robe that Claude had bought her closer to her body. Even in the spring, the mornings were still a bit chilly. Arlia was behind her and a world full of adventure was beyond. This was the start of Rena's journey.

I would just like to personally thank everyone that reviewed my story so much for taking the time to do it. All the reviews were positive and I hope yall really enjoyed chapter four. Once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed my story, and thank you to everyone who reads it. I will try to make it more and more exciting as the story progresses.


	5. The Road To Cross

Star Ocean: The Second Story, Into The Vast Darkness

Chapter 5: The Road to Cross 

A cool morning breeze was stirring the air, blowing Claude's hair into his eyes. The young man pulled his bandana further up so that he could see unimpaired. "Claude!" shrieked Rena, who was following close behind him. "What's wrong with your ears?" _Oops._ The earthling noticed that people on this planet had ears similar to his, but pointy at the top. "Umm..." Claude started, "People from Earth don't have pointy ears." The girl moved closer to him and raised her hand towards his face. "Claude, can I touch them?"

The pair had been walking for about two hours. They had already passed Salva and were on their way to Cross Castle, located in the capital city of the continent of Cross. There the two were to collect as much information about the Sorcery Globe as possible and to get permission to take a ship to the continent of El, where the Globe had fallen. The young man stopped to examine his surroundings.

The lush, green grass was still covered with dew, making it shiny and gorgeous. The pair was walking on a long dirt road that went straight for as far as Claude could see. In the distance was a mountain even taller than the ones that circle Arlia and Salva. Unlike those, however, the mountain was not very wide, but extremely tall. The sky was cloudy, but the sun still shone rather bright. It would soon warm up, which Claude was very glad for, because Rena looked to be freezing.

The young man took off his jacket and offered it to the cold girl, revealing the leather armor that he was wearing over his black shirt. "I can't take that," argued the sweet girl, "'Cause then you will be cold." Claude laughed and replied, "Don't worry about it, I was burning up in that thing." Which was a lie, of course. Though the armor was rather warm, his arms were now bare. But to Claude, a few hours of cold was worth seeing Rena's cheerful smile once again. The girl took the coat and thanked the young man with a hug.

So far this trip was going rather well. Claude and Rena conversed about things they like to do in their free time. When the earthling mentioned that he enjoyed reading, the girl jumped with excitement. "I love reading to people!" she squealed with joy. "I read to the little kids and the old people and anyone who feels like listening. Hey! Would you like it if I read you a story, Claude?" Though he had meant that he enjoyed reading novels and magazines, the young man could not resist. "I would love to hear a story, Rena."

The cute girl pulled a small, red book from one of the pockets in her robe and began to read. "Once upon a time there was a magical bunny named Willy. Willy lived in a forest with a bunch of other bunnies. Since Willy was magical, he could turn things into carrots. Because he was different, the other bunnies wouldn't play with him. One day a big, mean wolf came into the forest trying to catch the bunnies, so Willy turned the wolf into carrots and all the other bunnies loved him. The end!" Rena returned the book to her pocket and Claude could not help laughing.

He had not heard a story like that since he was about five years old. The sweet girl smiled and said, "I knew you would like that story." _Rena is so cute._ Never before had Claude met a girl so cute and sweet and innocent. Sure, he had talked to a few of the women that served on the Calnus with him, but most were rude, swore and ignored the commodore's son. The young man was really starting to take a liking to this planet.

Rena stepped in front of Claude and stopped, "Okies, I will lead now. But first, are you hungry?" The earthling put his hand on his stomach. Now that she had mentioned it, he had not eaten that morning. The sweet girl sat down on the ground with her legs crossed and drew from her cloak a loaf of bread, wrapped in cloth, and one of the jars of jam that Claude had picked up in Salva. The young man sat down next to her and the two of them ate.

"Wow," began Claude as the two started once more on their journey, "That bread was great. We will have to thank your mom the next time we are in Arlia." Rena smiled happily. "That was really good jam, too. Thank you so much for buying it, Claude." The young man smiled back. The earthling then spied something odd in the distance. It was a large, shadowy figure coming out of one of the nearby forests. _Hmm..._

-

Rena was having a really good time with Claude. The weather started to warm up, so she gave him back his jacket, thanking him one last time. This day was going very well, but there was a weird shadowy figure approaching the pair. "Oh, no, it's a Lizard-Man..." uttered the girl out loud. The young man looked confused. The girl explained that Lizard-Men worked together with bandits and robbed travelers. It looked like they were headed for a fight.

The Lizard-Man stopped in front of Rena and Claude with his axe drawn. It was roughly eight feet tall, with orange, scaly skin and a long tail. It's large mouth was filled with huge, sharp teeth that were covered in what looked like blood. The monster donned a breastplate and a round helmet that was flat on top, but provided no protection to the face and it's big, clawed feet moved closer and closer.

Claude drew his sword and stepped in front of Rena, protecting her. "We don't want to fight." Stated the young man. The monster did not halt. Not wanting to be struck first, Claude ran forward and slashed down with his sword, only to be blocked by the Lizard-Man's great axe. Again and again the boy struck, but it was no use, his opponents defense was impenetrable. Starting to become angry and frustrated the boy stepped back. "Die already!" Now shaking with fury, Claude hit his enemy again and again, but all he was accomplishing was making himself tired.

Rena was terribly worried about Claude. At this rate, he was not going to win. Donning her brass knuckles, the young girl circled around the two locked in combat. As hard as she could, the normally sweet and peaceful girl slammed her fist into the Lizard-Man's neck, just under the cover of his helmet, and heard a snap. The monster fell over backward, dead. "Holy crap!" Claude exclaimed. Rena put her head down with shame. "Well, he deserved it. I had to kill him or he was gonna hurt you..." The young man raised her head up gently with his hand. "No, I meant, 'Wow! You are really strong!'" The cute girl smiled and thanked him.

Once again the pair continued on their journey to Cross. The rest of the journey was rather uneventful. By the time they reached the great capital city it was already nighttime. The normally crowded town was completely empty, most people either asleep in bed or inside of their houses talking. Rena decided to bring Claude to the inn where her aunt Rachel worked. As the two stepped into the dimly lit inn, they were greeted by a tall woman with long, auburn hair. "Rena!" the woman exclaimed, nearly knocking the girl over with a huge hug.

"You have gotten so big since the last time I saw you! Say... is this your boyfriend?" Rena and Claude both started to blush. "No," started the embarrassed girl, "Claude and I are investigating the Sorcery Globe together, we came to see the king of Cross." The older woman winked and smiled at Rena. "Okay, well it just so happens that we have our best room open tonight. Perfect for you and your 'friend', ha." The woman walked them down the hall to a room and they walked in. "Goodnight." Said the lady as she returned to her desk.

Claude shook his head. "Okay, I will sleep on the floor." Rena was confused. "How come? I won't take all the covers, I promise." Rachel had put them in the newlywed suite, which had one big bed. "Umm... that's not it Rena." Claude replied, blushing. The sweet girl didn't understand. "Earth people are weird... Claude, just sleep on the bed. It looks comfy, doesn't it?" Reluctantly the young man climbed into bed and Rena got in beside him. She turned out the light and said goodnight to Claude.

"Rena?" said the young man a few moments later. "Yes, Claude?" the girl replied.

"I had a lot of fun traveling with you today."

"I had a lot of fun, too."

"Goodnight, Rena."

"Goodnight, Claude."


	6. The King of Cross and Celine, Treasure H...

Star Ocean: The Second Story, Into The Vast Darkness

Chapter 6: The King of Cross and Celine Jules, Treasure Hunter 

The sun rose and a bright, yellow light shone into Claude's room, waking him from his slumber. Beside him lay Rena who had been forced to share the hotel room's single bed, though it did not bother her at all. Because she was so innocent and sweet, she could not see the fault in sharing a bed with her male traveling companion. Claude admired the girl's purity among all the other things that he thought so great about her.

As the earthling started to get up, the girl began to stir. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she stood up. "Good morning, Claude. How did you sleep last night?" The young man smiled and replied, "Great. The bed was very comfortable." Rena smiled back. "I told you so! And you thought I was gonna take all the covers. Hehe... Okies, let's go see the king now." The pair got up and walked out of the inn. Now that the sun shone, Claude could admire this outstanding capital.

To the west was the market square, filled with vendors and merchants from all around, hoping to strike it rich by selling their wares. Meats, exotic fruits, swords and armor, anything you could possibly want to buy was located in this area. Claude still had a bit of money left from those bandits, plus what he had pilfered from the lizard man the day before. Perhaps he could buy a better sword after their audience with the king...

To the east stood hundreds upon hundreds of tall apartment buildings constructed from durable stone. These apartments somewhat resembled those of Earth, each having a porch to walk out on and a window. Upon many of the porches were plants and chairs and most had clotheslines hanging from them, connecting to another apartment on the other side of the street.

This city, unlike the other two cities that Claude had seen so far, had paved roads. As a result, the town was far cleaner. No muddy boots to track dirt into the many homes and shops located in Cross. In the center of town was a grand circle of grass, surrounded in some parts by a short, black fence. North of the town center was Claude and Rena's destination.

Cross Castle was an incredibly large structure, made of fine marble that glistened brightly in the sun. The road to the caste was imbedded with beautiful stones of several shades of reds and pinks. Around the castle's perimeter was a tall, white wall, almost a foot thick, which looked to be made out of the same marble as the rest of the castle. In the very front of the wall was a metal gate, that's dark color contrasted sharply with its surroundings.

On each side of the gate was a statue in the likeness of a solider, each one carved with exquisite detail, from the top of the helmet to the toes of the boots. _Amazing..._ As the pair entered the structure's interior, Claude soon saw that the inside was just as grand. All around stood guards, maids, and those seeking an audience with the king. On the beautiful white walls hung splendid pictures of the kings before and varies battles. Near the entrance in the middle of the great hall stood two men at a desk.

Rena walked over to the man standing on the left. "Excuse me," the sweet girl started, "We would like to have an audience with the king, please." The two men at the front desk looked at each other and began to chuckle. "Young lady, there are at least fifty other people that want an audience with the king. Why don't you come back tomorrow?" The girl reached into her robe and pulled from it the letter of introduction that Regis had given her. Once she presented it to the two men, their expressions drastically changed. "Pardon me ma'am, we didn't know you had a special invitation from Regis. We will get you an audience right away."

The man on the right ran up the stairs to the throne room and came back about ten minutes later. "The king will see you now." Claude and Rena walked up the stairs to the throne room. Upon crossing the doorway, the pair witnessed a recently married couple leaving. The king had just finished making their marriage official. The king had white hair, a long white beard and wore a long, vast, red robe that completely covered his body down to his feet. Rings adorned his royal fingers and upon his head rested a golden crown, embroidered with jewels.

Claude and Rena slowly approached the king, bowing to his highness before he spoke. "Rena, it has been so long we almost did not recognize you. The last time that I laid eyes upon you was when Regis presented you to the kingdom. You have grown into a fine young woman. What is it that brings you to my court?"

Rena began to explain about her and Claude's investigation of the Sorcery Globe. From behind, Claude could hear someone arguing with a guard, but it soon fell silent. After the sweet girl finished her explanation, the king spoke once more. "We do not know much about the Sorcery Globe. All that we do know is that it landed on the continent of El. Take this passport and travel money to the port of Clik. A ship there should be able to bring you to El. Good luck on your journeys."

Claude and Rena bowed to the king once more and a guard handed them the items. It was still early in the morning, so they figured that it would be a good idea to leave now. So far, the young man had gotten to see two underdeveloped towns, a castle, and very soon a port. This mission was going better than he could have ever hoped, even though this wasn't planned.

-

As Rena and Claude headed for the city's exit, they noticed something going on in the town square. On the ground lay a map with two people standing on each side of it. The one, a man dressed like a heraldic wizard, Rena could not see very well, for the sun was in her eyes. The woman, however, Rena could see very clearly. She stood about five and a half feet tall, and looked to be in her early twenties.

This woman had long, shiny, silvery-violet hair that hung down just below her shoulders. Upon her head she wore a pointed gold and purple hat, as well as a white and purple robe that seemed just a bit too short. Around her body, as if suspended by some unseen force, hovered a white shall. The beautiful woman also wore a gold necklace and gold hoop earrings, that accented her deep, crimson eyes.

In red, from the inside of her thigh to the top of her left breast, were tattoos of some ancient writing that Rena could not read. _My, she looks like a tramp. No, I shouldn't think bad things about someone I don't know; that would be rude._ It seemed like the two of them were arguing about the map on the ground. "The map is mine, whore," began the man, "You only purchased it at the auction through trickery and deceit, hand it over or I will be forced to kill you." Rena could hear Claude muttering about that not being the proper way to speak to a lady. The sweet girl agreed.

The young man couldn't stand to see a man treat a lady like that, so he ran in between the two. "Hey! You shouldn't talk to people like that! It's rude!" Angered at the interruption, the man simply raised his hand and knocked Claude back with a burst of wind. Rena ran over to help him as the woman started to speak. "Now, now... there was no need to strike the boy. I think you may have to pay for that." Rena and Claude watched in awe as the two people raised their hands at each other, fire building at their fingertips. While the man's attack was still readying, the woman shot a fireball out of her hand and knocked the man backwards. Slowly he stood, grasping his burnt chest. "You will pay for this, whore!" he shouted as he turned and ran.

The woman walked over to Rena and Claude and shook the young man's hand. "That was very brave of you, rushing to help me like that," the woman began, "My name is Celine Jules. I am a treasure hunter. What's yours?"

"Claude Kenni." The boy replied.

"And I'm Rena-" the girl tried to pipe in, but was interrupted.

"Nice to meet you, Claude. You know, I was about to go on a treasure hunt just now, using this map. It sure would be nice to have a big, strong man like you to accompany me. What do you say?"

"Hey, you can't just interrupt Rena like that, and furthermore-" Claude was cut off.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you and your** friend** like to come on a treasure hunt with me?" _I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. _

"Well, no, not real-" The woman cut him off again.

"What was that, darling? I couldn't hear you?"

Rena sighed, leaned over, and whispered into Claude's ear. "We might as well go. We might find out something about the Sorcery Globe, and besides, I don't think she will take no for an answer." Claude nodded in agreement. "Fine, Celine, we will go on your dumb treasure hunt, but only because we are investigating the Sorcery Globe." The woman smiled and grabbed his hand. "Alright! Let's go, Claude! Oh, and you too, Rena." Claude snatched his hand from hers and shook his head. _Haha. Claude hates her, too. _

"So, where exactly is this treasure?" asked Rena. Celine explained that the treasure would be located in the Cross Caves, natural caves just south of Cross. Though they had been explored many a time, this new map was said to know the place of a hidden treasure that Celine was very interested in. She would lead, and Claude and Rena would protect her. Very simple. _This is going to be terrible..._

OK! So that was chapter 6. I apologize for the chapters being short lately, but that will change very soon. Like, as in next chapter. It will take a lot longer than a day to write, though, so bear with me. Oh, yeah, and even though I am usually all professional-like, I think it is time for some fun. So, I made up this here quiz. Are you more of a Celine or a Rena?

1.Would you prefer:

a. A dollar b. A hug

2. Do you believe in abstinence?

a. Yes b. No

3.Do you prefer:

a. Shortcake b. Rabbit

4.Would you rather listen to:

a. DMX b. The Doors

5.Do you swear often?

a. Yes b. No

6.Do you like little kids?

a. Yes b. No

7. Are you:

a. An optimist b. A pessimist

8.If you find money, do you:

a. Keep it b. Return it

9.Should you:

a. Fight b. Run

10.Even or Odd?

a. Even b. Odd

-

-

-

-

-

Okay, here are the results:

Celine:Rena:

AB

BA

BA

AB

AB

BA

BA

AB

AB

BA

Well, if you were a Celine or a Rena, include it in your reviews. Until next chapter... Live well.


End file.
